Regions / South Africa
South African wine regions
6 regions and 13 producers, with the grapes each one is built on.
Grapes
The varieties behind South African labels.
Producers
13 South African wineries worth knowing.
Boekenhoutskloof
Franschhoek, Western Cape · founded 1776
The winery that created the Chocolate Box phenomenon, also making The Wolftrapp range and a benchmark Syrah that redefines South African red wine quality.
Bouchard Finlayson
Hermanus, Walker Bay · founded 1989
A Burgundy-inspired Walker Bay estate producing South Africa's most refined Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, influenced by the cool ocean air of the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley.
Crystallum
Hermanus, Walker Bay · founded 2007
Peter-Allan Finlayson's micro-winery produces the most precise Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in South Africa from Walker Bay's Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge.
De Trafford
Stellenbosch · founded 1992
David Trafford's boutique Stellenbosch estate is renowned for Atlas Peak Syrah and Blueprint Shiraz, made in tiny quantities with exceptional precision.
Hamilton Russell
Hermanus, Walker Bay · founded 1975
South Africa's most Burgundian estate, producing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from one of the country's coolest wine valleys, just 5km from the Atlantic Ocean.
Hamilton Russell Vineyards
Hemel-en-Aarde · founded 1975
Pioneer of cool-climate winemaking in South Africa, producing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Walker Bay valley that rival Burgundy in ambition.
Kanonkop
Stellenbosch · founded 1930
South Africa's most celebrated red wine estate, producing Pinotage of a quality that silences critics and legendary Paul Sauer Bordeaux blends since 1930.
Meerlust
Stellenbosch · founded 1693
One of the Cape's most historic estates, perfecting the Bordeaux blend under the Rubicon label and producing a benchmark Pinot Noir for South Africa.
Mullineux
Riebeek-Kasteel, Swartland · founded 2007
Chris and Andrea Mullineux's Swartland estate uses old-vine Chenin Blanc, Syrah, and Grenache to produce wines of extraordinary texture and aromatic complexity.
Rust en Vrede
Stellenbosch · founded 1694
A red-wine-only estate on Stellenbosch's Helderberg, producing a flagship Estate blend and single-varietal Syrah that compete with the world's best.
Sadie Family Wines
Malmesbury, Swartland · founded 2000
Eben Sadie's cellar has become the most important address in South African wine, reviving old-vine Chenin Blanc and Grenache from the Swartland's granite hills.
Warwick Estate
Stellenbosch · founded 1964
A pioneering Stellenbosch estate, home of the first Bordeaux-style blend in South Africa, Trilogy, and a benchmark Cabernet Franc called Three Cape Ladies.
Waterford
Stellenbosch · founded 1998
A Stellenbosch estate of great elegance, producing The Jem, a multi-variety blend, and the Kevin Arnold Shiraz from granite and clay soils near the Helshoogte Pass.
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South Africa wine FAQ
How many wine regions does South Africa have?
SomeWine tracks 6 wine regions in South Africa, alongside 13 producers.
Which grapes are grown in South Africa?
The grapes appearing most often on South African labels here are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah / Shiraz, Chenin Blanc, Viognier.
What are the oldest wineries in South Africa?
Among those tracked, the longest-running are Meerlust (1693), Rust en Vrede (1694), Boekenhoutskloof (1776), Kanonkop (1930), Warwick Estate (1964), Hamilton Russell (1975).